Little Falls transcript., 1887-03-04
HORACE GREELEY's BOY.

Amos Cummings, the New York
Suns Congressman, told a couple oi
stories about the late Horace Greeley
which do not remember to have
previously heard. Cummings was
Greeley's night editor on the old Trib.
une when Sidney Howard Gay was
managing editor. He probably re-
membered more interesting and origi,
nal tales concerning the old gen tleman
than are recollected by all the rest oI
the early Tribune force put together.
''Greeley used to have great trouble
in securing Office boys who were salts.
factory to him. If q boy was bright
and smart there was probably
som ething wrong with him in
some other direction, and so there " as
frequent changes in this department
of the staff. One day Greeley came in
with a great big long.leeged, thick-lip.
ped, big-nosed fellow who had O. voice
like a bull, and who looked as though
he had been knocked down and run
over by a beer truck. This boy-he
was about twenty--had been to
Nicaragua with Walker, and had been
left. Greeley brought him up to my
desk and said: amos can't stand
these boys you have been employing.
So, have engaged one for myself.
Bub; this is Mr.. Cummings. He will
tell you what you are to do. Then
the old gentleman disappeared ine his
private Office and gave the boy his
instructions. He seemed good. heart
ed sort of fellow, but he was big
chump, who really knew nothing at all,
One night, about a week later, Gree,
ley came in and said to the>lad, who
sat on guard by the door, 'Bub,
have got lot Of writing to do, and
at 8 o'clock l have promised to make
speech to FIR. Mathew society.
Don't let anybody into my office. J
don't want to see any id buns to-.
night The boy said all right, and
went to'reading newspaper. Pretty
soon a man came in who had beer
stumping the State in the Republican
interest, and who had always pre-
viously found his way to Greeley's
private office entirely unbarred. The
boy caught him just as he was, open.
ing the door. Said he:
"'say, young feller, what do ye
want?'
"I want to see Mr.. Greeley
"*Well, you can't do it. That's all
there is about it. You can't do it,
"I can't hey? We'll, Re'llsee about
"All right. IN Just about 60 yer.'
And the long-leggged Nicaragua boy
caught the stump speaker by the neck,
swept up the floor with him for a few
minutes, rushed him out into the en-.
try and down the spiral staircase A
few minutes later an old conpositor
who used to set type with Greeley,
and who made the excuse for many a
borrowed hver, sailed into the room
The boy didn't wait for him to speak
at all. He just seized the intruder,
whirled him around the Office, over
the tile-tahle and against most of the
desks, and sent him booming down
the staircase heels over head. After
that there was a period OF peace, which
was brought to a. termination by the
entrance of Mr.. Henry Wilson. who
subsequently became Vice President OF
the United States. Mr.. Wilson
had been stumpiug the State
OF Indiana, and was going
through New York on his way to Bos.
ton. He wore the worst-lookina duste1
/ haveever seen. 1t looked as if he had
ridden with it in the tender just back
OF the engine and the fireman had
been shoveling coal oven him. As
some OF you will remember. Mr.. Viii.
son: was rather tall and very slender
and when tired or heated his face grew
very red. AS he approached Mr..
Greeley's door, that Nicaragua boy
rose up before him and said.
"'Well what in HI do you want?'
"Mr. Wilson looked slightly sup
prised,, but stared the boy fxedly in
the eye. and said quietly 4 should
like to see Mr.. Greeley
Mr.. Greeley won't see. nobody.
You understand? He won't see no.
body?'
'But,' said Mr.. Wilson quietly,
still eyeing the boy with; frmness, i
think he desires to see, me. You will
please take my name TO him.
*'Ower at my desk I could hear every
word that passed, and [ was nearly
In a paroxysm of internal laughter.
Mr.. Wilson g manner and his steady
glare made the boy weaken, and, after
surveying Mr.. Wilson from head to
foot for a second or too, he said.
Well what is your bloody name? /
will take it in, but I don't believe he
will see you, just the same
'tMr. Wilson told the messenger who
he was. and that raw-boned function
ary disappeared into the private Of
fee. ! Icould hear long talk between
Greeley and the boy. 1t was impossi-
Die to distinguish their words but
Greeley's high fa|setto and the boys
low. hoarse proWl could be distinctlu